Following the news earlier this month that the French Embassy in London was opposed to the implementation of VAT on French schools in Britain, it has been reported that other European embassies have been  lobbying the UK government to exempt international schools from VAT on fees and that they  are warning that the tax will make independent schools unaffordable for many of their UK-based employees and put a strain on diplomatic relations.

One official told the Financial Times that the Spanish Embassy participated in the UK government’s recent public consultation on the proposals and requested that the Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch be granted an exemption from the tax.

This is a Spanish international school occupying a former Dominican convent in Notting Hill, London, which teaches using a Spanish curriculum for pupils aged five to 19. The Spanish government owns the school, and it is managed by Spain’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

Federico Bianchi, head of press and public diplomacy for the EU’s Delegation in the UK, said the VAT “has an impact on how attractive London is for foreigners”.